Hi, thank you for query


Aortic valve calcification is a condition in which calcium deposits form on the aortic valve in the heart. These deposits can cause narrowing at the opening of the aortic valve. This narrowing can progress to become severe enough to reduce blood flow through the aortic valve, a condition called aortic valve stenosis.
Aortic valve calcification may be an early sign that you have heart disease, even if you don't have any other heart disease symptoms.
Calcification and stenosis typically affect people older than age 65. When it occurs in younger people, it's often caused by:
•     A heart defect that's present at birth
•     Other illnesses, such as kidney failure
•     High cholesterol
Aortic valve sclerosis — thickening and stiffness of the valve — and mild aortic calcification usually don't cause significant heart problems, but require regular checkups to make sure your condition isn't worsening. It's important to have your cholesterol checked because you may need medications to lower cholesterol and help prevent aortic valve sclerosis from getting worse. If the valve becomes severely narrowed (stenotic), aortic valve replacement surgery may be necessary
good luck and take care

Dear Dr T.H. Saherwala, Calcification of aortic knucle is a frequent X-RAY finding among elderly population aging more than 65 years of age. In this population it generally signifies the presence of atherosclerotic disease of aorta similar to the atherosclerotic disease of coronary arteries but here the athersclerotic disease does not cause so much of luminal obstruction as to affect the distal blood flow as it does in coronaries arteries,the reason being simple that the aorta is much large calibered blood vessel than the coronary arteries .However the presence of atherosclerosis in aotra predisposes it to complications like aortic aneurysm formation and aortic disection but there is no evidence that the presence of calcification in aortic atherosclerotic lessions increases the risk of these complications of aortic atherosclerosis. Besides atherosclerosis the other uncommon causes of aortic calcification are syphillitic aortitis and takayasu arteritis, and some times aortic knucle calcification may be associated with calcified sclerotic aortic valve which may cause obstruction to the blood flow from left ventricle in to the aorta. since the calcification of aortic knucle per see does not cause any problem except when manipulated during some cardiac and thoracic surgery where it may increase the risk of stroke and myocardial infaraction due to release of calcified material and its embolisation , there is no treatement required for it . However an echocardiography may be required to rule out an associated calcific sclerotic aortic valve disease and to access its severity, which if severe may require valve replacement, otherwise the only emphysis should be on the control and treatement of the risk factors for atherosclerosis like ceassation of smoking,avoidance of fatty and cholesterol rich diets, daily or at least thrice weekely aerobic exercise for at least 1/2 to 1 hour, weight reduction,proper control of diabetes, hypertention and dyslipidemia and continue your other cardiac medications